FOLLOWING a public consultation on parking problems at Liphook infant and junior schools, which began in 2014, yellow lines and waiting restrictions in and around The Avenue have been implemented by Hampshire County Council.

The council’s director of economy, transport and environment, Stuart Jarvis, decided traffic order proposals, which include no stopping on the school entrance from Monday to Friday between 8am and 9.30pm and from 2.30pm-4pm, should be implemented with effect from October 31.

Permanent traffic order notices issued by the county highways department also mean no waiting at any time in Avenue Close on both sides, between its junction with Avenue Road and 10m south as well as further along the close.

In addition, it includes no waiting on both sides at the junction with The Avenue roand Longmoor Road, as well as the junctions with Yeomans Lane and Lark Rise and no waiting at any time at the junction of The Avenue with Headley Road and the junction with Tower Road, off Headley Road, as well as the Longmoor Road lay-by for its entire length.

The county council has justified the decision stating that “as part of an on-going review of on-street parking in the Liphook area, new and revised parking controls in the vicinity of Liphook Infant and Junior Schools have been implemented to improve visibility at junctions, alleviate highway safety concerns, resolve driveway obstructions and discourage indiscriminate parking”.

Former county councillor Ferris Cowper, who is the leader of East Hampshire District Council, Hampshire Police, EHDC and Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council were initially consulted on original proposals.

The parish council felt it would be better to consider time-restricted parking for The Avenue area, rather than general restriction.

Hampshire stated county councillor, Floss Mitchell, supported the decision and costs of implementation will be met from the ordinary traffic management programme.

Residents in The Avenue area claim parking and waiting restrictions will simply move cars to neighbouring roads and not resolve any of the current problems.

In addition, with 375 houses expected to be built at the nearby Lowsley Farm site, off Longmoor Road, traffic congestion around the schools is likely to increase further.

Questions have also been raised as to who will monitor parking restrictions once they are implemented.

According to the parish council, since the introduction of civil parking enforcement in East Hampshire in 2012, the enforcement of on-street parking controls has been carried out by enforcement officers from the joint parking enforcement team run by EHDCand its partner Havant Borough Council.

Routine enforcement is carried out on a rota basis and ad hoc enforcement can be carried out in response to specific enquiries.

The area is part of a three-phase proposal by the county council and follows the recent implementation of yellow lines at the Canada Way development.

A spokesman for Hampshire CC said the third phase relating to a number of sites in the Liphook area is presently on hold awaiting the outcome of a village wide parking study.